A model for behaviour modification programmes to improve discipline and learner achievement : a communicative approach

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State, 200

Dominant Epistemology, African Indigenous Languages, Culture And The Discourse On The Decolonisation Of Knowledge Within The (African) University

ArticleKnowledge is preserved in the language of its producers and developers, and as a carrier of culture, language is significant because it controls the way people (individually and collectively) perceive themselves in relation to others in the world. Language is also primarily responsible for initiating and sustaining creativity. Unfortunately, for European cultural hegemony language also became a mechanism for launching strategies of domination and alienation of the African personality and traditional knowledge. Ngugi wa Thiongo (1986) and Prah (2009) have observed that as part of the plan the processes of subjugation and domination did not only have to do with the colonised having to inherit alien syntax or lexicology, but also the ways in which they ultimately perceive self and the world, and how to relate with Europeans in their assumed superior status. Therefore, this article interrogates the socio-politics of the dominant epistemology and how it has impacted African indigenous languages and culture. It supports the case for the discourse regarding the decolonisation of knowledge within the (South) African university. The article argues for the retrieval and repositioning of African indigenous languages and culture as part of the decolonisation project because the interface between indigenous knowledge and other knowledge systems is critical in generating new insights

Sesotho Is Still A Marginalised Language

ArticleThis article reports on the progress (or lack thereof) regarding the use of Sesotho as an official medium of communication in selected government departments in the Free State Provincial Government (FSPG). In South Africa, provincial governments are required to implement language policies that promote multilingualism. The aim is to develop previously marginalised languages such as Sesotho, isiXhosa and isiZulu, among others, so that they have equal status to English and Afrikaans. A mixed-method design was used to guide the research process and purposive sampling to ensure that participants made a valuable contribution to this study. We are concerned that despite efforts being made to reduce the gap between official languages such as English and Afrikaans and the previously marginalised languages, there is no real progress in this regard. The results of this study reveal that Sesotho, as a previously marginalised language, is still underutilised in government departments. Evidence suggests that the results of this study be used as a guide for the formulation and implementation of language policies and procedures to address this problem

Humanity, expectations, access and transformation (HEAT): revisiting South African higher education entrance assessment in a postcolonial context

From Crossref via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: epub 2020-07-19, issued 2020-07-1

CAGI, the critical assessment of genome interpretation, establishes progress and prospects for computational genetic variant interpretation methods

Background: The Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI) aims to advance the state-of-the-art for computational prediction of genetic variant impact, particularly where relevant to disease. The five complete editions of the CAGI community experiment comprised 50 challenges, in which participants made blind predictions of phenotypes from genetic data, and these were evaluated by independent assessors. Results: Performance was particularly strong for clinical pathogenic variants, including some difficult-to-diagnose cases, and extends to interpretation of cancer-related variants. Missense variant interpretation methods were able to estimate biochemical effects with increasing accuracy. Assessment of methods for regulatory variants and complex trait disease risk was less definitive and indicates performance potentially suitable for auxiliary use in the clinic. Conclusions: Results show that while current methods are imperfect, they have major utility for research and clinical applications. Emerging methods and increasingly large, robust datasets for training and assessment promise further progress ahead